


The Boy I Was (The Man You Made Me)

by ink_and_honey



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Destiny, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, M/M, Personal Growth, Protective Arthur, Protective Merlin, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24073783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ink_and_honey/pseuds/ink_and_honey
Summary: Arthur realizes just how much he’s changed since Merlin came around.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 208





	The Boy I Was (The Man You Made Me)

Arthur Pendragon knew that he was, for lack of better word, predictable. 

Everyone in the Castle, from his own father to the cook who prepared his meals knew this as one of the Absolute Truths of The Kingdom of Camelot that was not likely to change soon. 

It was in the small things. He would wake up at the same time every single day. He would train for hours on end. He would eat. He would attend to his duties. He would act like a prat to some of the newer members of the castle staff. And he would sleep.

It was in the big things. He never opposed his father’s decisions. He used the same moves on the battlefield. He was a weakness. A liability. An easy target for the enemies of Camelot.

He was also, for lack of better word, unpopular.

“I hear that if his meat isn’t cooked a certain way, he throws the cook and the servant who served him into the stocks,” is the chatter among the kitchen maids.

“Aye, he once made Johnny eat horse dung when he didn’t fit the saddle on the ol’ mare properly,” whisper the stable boys.

“Prince Arthur can’t be bothered to take on someone his own size, I see,” the peasants eye him as he roughs around with the servant boys.

“I s’pose the Prince is too much of a dunderhead to realize we stick around only for his daddy’s money, not his sparkling wit,” chuckle his knights when he’s too far out of range to hear.

Arthur sees but he does not understand.

***

Something changes when Merlin arrives. 

It isn’t abrupt. Merlin makes every fiber of his being itch with irritation and disapproval. Every stupid smirk, every playful taunt, every tiff they have over things that he can’t even remember. He chastises Arthur when he’s being unkind, when Arthur knows he’s being unkind- to his servants, to his knights, to himself- but can’t help it and something about him forces Arthur to listen. Arthur’s always prided himself on his superiority but this boy who comes from nothing always makes him feel wrong-footed. 

Merlin enters him slowly, like a burn.  
He risks his life for Arthur at the drop of a hat. He bumbles around and mutters too much and teases an awful lot. 

Merlin follows him into every dangerous, god-forsaken jungle of madness and adventure without second thought. Merlin patches him up when he gets so much as a paper cut. Merlin stands up to Uther, of all people, and Arthur is exasperated. He’s done something Arthur could never do- he’s taken a stand against Uther’s madness. Arthur starts to do it because all he has now is a burning need to protect this loyal, kind idiot from all harm, even if it comes in the form of his father. 

Merlin is dying. Arthur risks everything he has, everything he could have to save him because what would his life be without Merlin in it? What would he be?

Merlin kisses him with the fire of a thousand suns. Arthur kisses back as desperately as a dying man living his last moments. His lips melt against Arthur’s, silently screaming for more, more, more and Arthur sighs in relief as he pulls Merlin into his bed because he never could deny him anything, could he?

As he lies in bed with Merlin one lazy morning, Merlin’s eyes twinkling in the bright sunlight as he laughs at some undoubtedly stupid joke he’s made, Arthur sees the reflection of the man he’s finally proud to be.

***

The harsh taunts don’t disappear overnight, of course. But there is a difference. The eyes of the kingdom go from intense, accusatory, afraid to curious, open, and a little admiring. Arthur’s still the talk of the town but there’s a palpable buzz in the air. An excitement. His subjects begin to cheer as he rides down the streets. They weep as he comforts them for their losses. They bless him with their entire hearts when he is just to them. And when his father dies, they declare their unwavering loyalty to him. Merlin’s soft kisses and whispered ‘I love you’ are with him through it all.

Arthur finally understands.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys this is my first fic EVER so I’d appreciate any constructive criticism you’d like to give me and if you liked it, dropping a kudos would make me day :D
> 
> I also sincerely apologize for any grammatical mistakes/spelling mistakes I’ve made haha this was just a rush to get the words out


End file.
